Hello! Always nice to see another person from Vermont I live just on the border. Yes, it would be safe as long as you practice proper quarantine procedures with the new additions to make sure that your new birds aren't sick and don't infect your hen with something nasty. You should also be aware that when you first introduce them there will be some fighting as the figure out the pecking order but that will subside. Just keep an eye on them to make sure the fighting doesn't get too violent.

Really, that's funny! I wish there was an active Vermont thread on here. Me and two other Vermonters hang out in the NY Chicken Lover thread if you want to join us. It's the most active thread closest to our area. I do a minimum of 3 weeks. That can be the incubation period of mycoplasma, so it can take that long to show up. I usually go at least four if I have the space and resources.

I love to do it! I do it all the time. I also hatch myself in an incubator. The only downside to having the chickens do it is having to wait for one to go broody. Otherwise, they are fantastic hatchers and I much prefer it over incubating myself.The only problem is that mycoplasma can actually pass through the egg to the chick inside so you have to be sure to get the eggs from someone reputable. Any particular kind of eggs you are looking for? I might know someone in the area with them so you don't have to have them shipped.

She can keep them warm over the winter. Chicks are actually much hardier than I think we give them credit for. When you quarantine you keep them completely separate because some diseases are spread overborn or by dander, etc that could get through a fence. I can ask around the NY thread and see if anyone is downsizing and has a couple barred rock hens they want to part with. This time of year that's not hard to find. I think also on that thread someone does barred rocks, and they'd be a safe source to get eggs from.

No problem! If you're close to Rutland VT at all, some time you should come to the little chicken meeting we have about once a week or every other week. Yeah, with the eggs you just have to wait it out, it's a hormone thing. What breed is your hen?